On Monday, the auditorium looked very different. Just
30 people braved the blowing snow and unplowed roads to watch the inauguration
ceremonies on a giant screen.

The atmosphere lacked the euphoria of four years ago, but
those who attended were a committed bunch who said they were still happy they
turned out.

"We wanted to come as
one and see it together," said Western Michigan University sophomore Devine
Loving, who attended with three friends and had their pick of seats.

"I'm not
disappointed," she said, of the low turnout. "I'm excited. I think he made a
lot of improvements and I have faith he will accomplish more in his second
term."

"Last time, it was a
much bigger event," said Martha Warfield, vice president of diversity and
inclusion for Western Michigan University.

While they didn't know how many people would turn out today,
Warfield said that planners wanted to be sure there was a venue open on campus for
those interested.

While the winter weather advisory and temperatures in the teens likely had an impact, other
factors also may have affected turnout, said Tierra Marshall, program coordinator of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and co-chair of W.M.U.'s Martin Luther King Day planning committee.
Those included other events, such as the Day of Service in Kalamazoo
and the march in honor of Dr. King, she explained. Also, Monday was
a holiday and the campus was closed, as opposed to four years ago, when students were allowed to skip class to watch the Inauguration.

The lower turnout at Miller reflects the more muted atmosphere nationwide. Some 800,000 people were expected in Washington, D.C, 1 million fewer than those who packed the capital in 2009.

Richard Hinton, a junior from Southfield who is president of
the College Democrats at WMU, said that, while his goal of watching the
swearing-in with a large crowd might not have worked out quite as planned, he
was still excited about Obama's second term.

Among the things he hoped to see Obama tackle: immigration
reform and the economy.

Financial aid was the upper-most concern of both Loving and
senior Joshua Harshaw, of Detroit.

Harshaw watched the last inauguration at his home in Detroit.

"It was a very festive event. Obviously, history was made
then," said Harshaw. "I was glad to see America sociologically moving forward
into an era of acceptance."

While the second inauguration may not have been as
groundbreaking, Harshaw said, "I think it's still really important."

Of his decision to come down to Miller, Harshaw added: "I
just didn't want to stay in my room. I wanted to share it with other people."